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Trickben.com » Video Tips » How I lived a week on 700 rubles

How I lived a week on 700 rubles

05 Jun 2023, 00:03, parser
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Lately I've started to notice that I spend a lot of money. Whether this is due to the high prices for everything or the fact that I'm a spender and can't save, I don't know. I think many of you are facing such a problem. Therefore, I decided to check whether an ordinary person can live for a week on the minimum amount. That's how I started my challenge "To live for seven days on 700 rubles." I'll make a reservation right away that I live in Ulyanovsk, an ordinary provincial city.

To begin with, I identified the most frequent items of expenditure. It turned out to be food, transport and entertainment.

I go to the grocery store every day and spend about 500 rubles. Every day. There have been no potatoes, sausages, sausage, bread in my diet for a long time. I try to eat right, so there are always fresh vegetables in the refrigerator, fruits, berries, greens — all this is quite expensive, especially out of season. I'm also very picky about food. For example, I will not eat ordinary pasta for 30 rubles, I will take it for 100, with a label in Italian. Well, often I don't have enough time to prepare lunch in advance, and I run to the store next to the office for a snack. Extra expenses are obtained. As a result, I spend about 3 thousand rubles a week only on groceries.

I get to work and back every day by public transport. Basically it's a minibus. The fare costs 20 rubles. If I go to a meeting, to a movie or a cafe and stay late, I take a taxi home. On average, about 500 rubles are spent on transport per week.

Entertainment in our city is tight. My typical vacation: going to the cinema or theater, to a cafe with friends, a pub quiz once every two weeks. For a week, 1.5 thousand are spent on entertainment, if rounded up.

As a result, it turns out that I spend 5 thousand rubles a week. I'm writing this and I'm in shock. I spent 5 thousand a week, and I lived on 700 rubles.

How I saved on food

I grew up in a family where food is one of the most important pleasures in life, and I'm not used to saving on food. But for the sake of the challenge, we had to find ways to cut costs. That's what I was doing.

How to save on food →

1. Determined the budget for the day

I had to spend 60 rubles a day for food (another 40 rubles for travel). It was difficult, I had to give up the usual products. One pack of cottage cheese, which I eat almost daily, costs 75 rubles, so I had to give up such products.

Positive:

  • I ate more seasonal vegetables and fruits.
  • The food in my refrigerator did not linger.
  • I learned how to cook dishes from what I have.

Minuses:

  • Without a clear list, I bought only what was included in the daily budget.
  • I ate a lot of empty carbohydrates: sweet, flour. Because such products are cheap.
  • I didn't save money. If I had any money left, I spent it on the same empty carbohydrates.

2. Made a list of necessary products

Realizing that daily trips to the store do not help to save money at all, I decided to make a list of necessary products and buy everything in one day.

Positive:

  • A clear list does not allow you to spend too much.
  • Saving time. I spent an hour in one day and didn't go to the shops for the rest of the week.
  • The presence of a variety of products inspires culinary experiments.

Minuses:

  • I spent the entire budget on food at once, leaving nothing in reserve.

3. Went to the market

I decided to check how different the store prices are from the prices of private producers.

Positive:

  • Some vegetables and fruits are cheaper than in stores.
  • The products are natural.
  • You can choose any quantity, but you won't go to the checkout with one tomato in the store.

Minuses:

  • Talkative grannies who will easily sell you anything.
  • It is not very convenient to get to the market.

4. Used the app with discounts

In addition to discount apps, you can use coupons and promotions for the products you are interested in. Many stores have personal loyalty cards, bonus cards, with which you can save a lot.

Positive:

  • You can see the best deals.
  • You can compare prices in different stores.

Minuses:

  • The only one, but bold — not all discounts are indicated in the applications. From personal experience, I was convinced that more goods can be found cheaper in stores.

5. Went to visit

You can chat and eat.

Positive:

  • Delicious food for free.
  • Chat with friends.

Minuses:

  • You need to ask for a visit.
  • You can't take food with you.

How I saved on transport

I get from home to work by minibus for about 40 minutes. The one—way fare is 20 rubles, after 8 pm — 24 rubles.

1. I went by tram

Positive:

  • Economy. The cost of one trip is 18 rubles, when paying by card — 17 rubles.

Minuses:

  • Lack of comfort. The old trams have uncomfortable seats and it's cold.
  • It takes longer to travel than by minibus.

2. Walked

Positive:

  • I spent a lot of calories.
  • I saw a lot of new beautiful places.
  • Pumped willpower.

Minuses:

  • I was very tired and fell out of life for two days, because I had no strength.
  • I spent a lot of time.

3. I asked my colleagues to give me a ride

Positive:

  • You can get there quickly, comfortably, in pleasant company.
  • Is free.

Minuses:

  • Ask colleagues who could give you a ride.
  • Adapt to a colleague and start working from home.

How I saved on entertainment

I'm not a particularly party person, I spend most of my time at work or at home. I only have fun on weekends. But if you want to have an interesting time, in our city and with paid cool events are tight, let alone free. Therefore, I faced a very difficult task.

45 ideas what to do on the weekend and not spend a penny →

1. Attended free events

Positive:

  • I discovered quite interesting places, for example museums, which I would never have visited otherwise.

Minuses:

  • Free events in the province are often primitive boring amateur activities.

2. Walking

Positive:

  • Burned calories.
  • I saw many new and beautiful places.
  • I listened to a lot of audiobooks.

Cons: not detected.

Total

In seven days I spent 683 rubles.

In general, I am satisfied with the results of my test. I clearly monitored my budget, gave up the habit of buying the first thing that catches my eye, realized that you can have a good rest without spending a single ruble.

Of course, I do not urge everyone to live on 700 rubles or even 1,000. Everyone has different needs and opportunities. But I advise you to try such an experiment. Not to feel how terrible it is, but to understand that you can quite live without the usual expenses and at the same time save a lot.

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